Right on time with the 20-year cycle, gadgets from the early 2000s are making a fierce comeback. From Sony Walkmans to iPod Shuffles and flip phones, an increasing number of people are finding themselves drawn to iconic tech from the past as we approach the first quarter of the 21st century.
Sure, it looks cool. But why are Millennials, Gen Z, and even Gen Alpha so drawn to it? There are many trends that don’t come back, so why has this one?
Let’s take a look at what is going on beneath the surface.
A main selling point of reverting to older technology is the direct connection. Whether it’s a flip phone or even an older iPhone, there are far fewer distractions, and it serves the sole purpose of communication.
The Walkman’s sole job is to provide literal music to our ears. All retro tech items are simplistic in nature and connect to the human need to stay grounded; they keep us more in our bodies, something we all need in this ever-speeding-up media-filled world.
Everywhere we look, there are stimuli, making it all the more pressing and necessary to sit down with something tangible that serves a single purpose: reconnecting you to the present. It all lies in the human desire to hold onto the tangible — snapping the phone shut, placing the CD into the cassette, and being all the closer to having the music in your hand.
Of course, we also need to consider how this trend relates to self-expression, as retro tech is a significant component of fashion.
What message does it convey to others and ourselves as the wearer?
It undoubtedly communicates that the person is down-to-earth. It also alludes to an air of exclusivity — retro makes it rare and, therefore, sought after; as a result, the person wearing it subconsciously leads people to associate them with these traits.
Who wouldn’t want to come off as down-to-earth and a rarity? No wonder it’s becoming so popular.
Another trend that has gained significant popularity is the digital camera. It again comes back to holding it in your hands; its role does not become lost in the bottomless pit of the modern smartphone.
I also hear many of my friends, even myself, saying the effect of a digital camera makes photos look better, but as my boyfriend pointed out, how does that even make sense? In comparison to the advanced iPhone cameras, the clarity is far less with lower megapixels and flatter colours, to name a few issues. So, why do we like it so much?
Probably because, again, it reminds us of a simpler time when we didn’t pick ourselves apart. The photos just looked good. Maybe we aren’t meant to be able to analyze our faces so closely, the same way we aren’t meant to feel so untethered to reality.
My final consensus? This retro tech trend allows us to feel like people again, not half robots reliant on our devices. That’s why it’s one of my favourite trends so far, and I hope it’s here to stay.